National Drug Take-Back Initiative

Disposal

Bring your pills for disposal to the Powhatan County Safe Exchange Zone, located along Marion Harland Road in the Courthouse Square complex. The DEA can only accept pills or patches; the DEA cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

Anyone with questions should contact Captain Danny Smith at (804) 598-5931. 

National Announcement

DEA will host its 25th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event on Saturday, October 28, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Collection sites in every local community can be found by going to the Drug Enforcement Administration website. This site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Prescription drug abuse in the U.S. is increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that many abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away - both potential safety and health hazards.

For more than a decade, DEA's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications - those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed - that too often become a gateway to addiction. Working in close partnership with local law enforcement, Take-Back Day has removed more than 15 million pounds of medication from circulation since its inception.

Prescription drug abuse is a huge problem and this is a great opportunity for folks around the country to help reduce the threat. Please clean out your medicine cabinet and make your home safe from drug theft and abuse.